Joe Ligon, the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer, was released from prison at age 83 from United States prison.
Joe Ligon, the oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer, was released from prison at age 83 from United States prison.In February 2021, America's oldest and longest-serving juvenile lifer Ligon was released after serving nearly seven decades in prison. In 1953, four teenagers and Ligon were involved in a robbery and stabbing where two people died, where they had drained alcohol. At the time of the crime, Ligon was 15 years old. Following the murder, Ligon was guilty of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was sorry for committing a crime. After being sentenced to life without parole at a one-day trial in 1953, Ligon served 68 years in a Pennsylvania prison.
According to Defender Services Office Training Division, after the 2016 ruling, Ligon had rejected an offer of being released because it involved a parole requirement. He wanted to be free with no restrictions. Consequently, Ligon stayed in prison until a judge ruled that he should be released within 90 days in November. He said that he plans his future and has considered using the custodial skills he learned in prison to get a job.
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